Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus prevalence amongst community versus hospital acquired skin and soft tissue infections

ABSTRACT

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] is becoming increasingly prevalent, not only in the hospital acquired but also the community acquired infections. Skin and soft tissues are a few of the important targets for this pathogen. A study was conducted at the departments of surgery, dermatology and pathology, Combined Military Hospital, Gujranwala Cantt to know the prevalence of MRSA amongst community vs. hospital acquired skin and soft tissue infections [SSTIs]. A total of 216 community acquired and 48 hospital acquired SSTIs were included in the study. The pus swabs/pus specimens collected from all the cases were processed for routine cultures. Isolates were identified as Staphylococcus aureus and resistance to methicillin was detected using standard techniques. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in 64.35% of the community acquired and 72.91% of the hospital acquired SSTIs. Prevalence of MRSA amongst community acquired SSTIs was 26.6% while in the hospital acquired SSTIs was 68.57%. The study indicates quite a high prevalence of MRSA amongst community acquired and a very high prevalence in hospital acquired SSTIs. Further large scale studies are required to monitor the prevalence and spread of MRSA amongst SSTIs